The General
by Saragath
Summary: Ever wonder why Colonel Tavington is such a mean guy? Read up!
1. General McLeen

The General  
  
On a musky and humid Tuesday morning, Colonel Rogers, commander of the 50th Royal Regiment, was sitting at his desk doing paper work. The morning sun baked the white tents outside making them seem as thousands of mirrors reflecting light into his window. He was not in a good mood this morning. "Colonel?" The young Major said awkwardly.  
"Yes, Major Andrews, what is it?" Colonel Rogers replied, annoyed at the interruption of his thoughts.  
The Major shifted from one foot to the other. His hands were trembling and he didn't seem to know what to do with them. "General McLeen is here to see you, sir."  
Rogers straightened up. General McLeen was practically his idol. He had heard of the general's great and many victories in England and was pleased to see that he was in the colonies. He always followed the general's movements to see when he was near enough to have a visit. He wanted to talk about the tactics he used when in battle. Rogers had once tried some but they always seemed to fail.  
"Send him in then!" he said after a short pause.  
"Y-yes, sir." The Major left and Rogers turned back to face his desk once again. "Here is, er, General McLeen, sir." Andrews said.  
Rogers swung around with a smile on his face but it died when he was fully around. There was a woman standing there dressed in a man's, most definitely a general's, suit of clothing. Her dark hair was pulled back in the fashion of some of the soldiers-a low ponytail- and her head was held high with honor. Her bright green eyes made her look sort of like a cat and they were fixed on him.  
"Is this a joke!" Rogers scoffed.  
"I assure you," she said. "That it is not."  
Her voice was musical and he wondered how-if she really was the great General McLeen-she yelled her orders. It wasn't even hoarse! She stepped closer so they were only a few feet away. Her eyes looked him up and down and she smiled a gorgeous smile.  
"What, never heard of a female officer?" she asked.  
He was dumbfounded and ran into his desk when he backed up. She silently laughed and strolled around the room, admiring many trinkets and fabrics. Her cat-like eyes locked with his once more and she said, "I am general McLeen if you want to believe it or not. You could even write to the King for all I care! But the look in your eye tells me that you believe. Why not? What woman would wear men's clothing and waltz right into your office like I did? None, of course. So, what did you want to talk about?"  
"Y-your tactics you use in battle. Would you like some tea?" he changes the subject and offers her some. She takes it and sips a tiny bit.  
"My tactics? -"  
Suddenly the two double doors that Andrews was supposed to be guarding sprang open and a man came walking in. His hair was the same color as McLeen's but his eyes were a steel grey. He was about twenty-nine. He knew this man all too well. "Major Tavington! Can't you see I am in the middle of something?" he almost yells at the man. Major Tavington looks amused and his eyes land on McLeen. They rise in suspicion.  
"Oh, I apologize, Colonel. I didn't know you were. entertaining." He says.  
"Enter-entertaining? You should watch your mouth in front of General McLeen! She is not here to entertain me, she is here because I want to speak with her!" Rogers' face grows redder and redder as he is saying this.  
Tavington looks McLeen up and down as she did the colonel and smirks. "Surely you jest, sir. How can this woman be the general?"  
"If you are done playing twenty questions then I shall get on with what I came here for. If not I will leave you two to your arguments." She says and heads for the door. "If you wish to see me once again just ask. The servants will know." And she was gone. Rogers glares at Tavington and he just shrugs. "Is she really the general?" he asks and Rogers nods. 


	2. Targeted

Targeted By Friday afternoon, Colonel Rogers had yet to have a chance to speak with General McLeen. It was to no surprise that she would be busy. After all, her troops had come and they needed to be trained for more battle. Even though she assigned one of the colonel's to train them, she was still quite busy. Everyday brought new wagons from Saratoga filled with papers, muskets, and ammunition. McLeen was always surrounded by her officers and was either working with her troops or doing paperwork. She was quite good with the men. They didn't snigger at her or give her dirty looks at all. No, they stood straight as boards as she passed them and obeyed her every command. Though the atmosphere was different when they were resting, they still respected her. She'd go up and down the lines and speak words of encouragement and comfort to her soldiers and they'd smile and talk to her as if they had known her since she was young, actually she was pretty young. She had to be around twenty-two years of age and she didn't sport moles like some of the other women. On Fridays, though, you could find her in the courtyard practicing with the sword and pistol since it was her 'day off'. She was excellent at the sword but not very good with the pistol. She always missed the target by a couple of inches; and saying a 'couple of inches' was just being nice. That is how Major Tavington found her, practicing with the pistol. He winced as she hit a statue a couple of feet away from her target. The head of it blew off. "Nice hit, general." He said. She swung around and smiled. "I am so horridly bad with a pistol, but good with the sword. Does that mean anything?" she said, coming towards him. "Just that you need more practice and a teacher." "Oh, and you think you can teach me? I thought you disapproved of a woman being an officer. Or was that Rogers?" she strokes her chin and quickly reloads her pistol and fires at something random. The bullet hits another statue right in the center. "I can only shoot well if I am distracted, but that annoys the piss out of me." Tavington is astounded at the surprise of a lady using such vulgar slang. She raises an eyebrow and laughs. It is a sweet sound. "What, never heard a lady use such language?" she laughs again and reloads. "Here allow me to teach you." He says and asks her what the target is. She points at an unbroken statue. He positions her in front of him and steadies her now trembling arm that has the gun in it. "Now, you want to keep both eyes open so you can see around you as well as in front of you. You never know if someone will come up at you from the side." He pulls back the flintlock and aims the gun for the center of the statue. He then looks at McLeen and says, "Ready?" She nods and he makes her pull the trigger. They both stumble back a little bit and wait for the dust to clear so they could see where she hit. "Holy shit and Mother of God! I hit the center!" she cries out and runs to the statue. "Now let's see if you can do it by yourself. Remember, both eyes are open." "Alright." She says backing up to where he is. She reloads, pulls back the flintlock and aims. For the second time she hits it dead center, but a little to the right. No matter, if it was a human he would have been dead. "Blimey," says a voice behind them. Both swing around and see an officer staring at the statue in shock. "General, you actually hit the mark!" The man has an Irish accent. He has graying brown hair and dark brown eyes. "Yes, Lieutenant, I sure did. Of course with the help of Major Tavington here." She says happily. To Tavington she says, "This is my second in command, Lieutenant Jimmy McCaffrey. We just call him Lieutenant Jimmy though unless at a formal event." They shake hands and give each other their greetings. "Well, I have to get back to work. I just came by to tell General McLeen that a Colonel Rogers wishes to speak with you." Jimmy says. "Good day, Major Tavington, General McLeen." He says and walks off. "What is it with that man? I don't see anything so great about my tactics. They just come up in my mind whenever we go to battle. Well, I better go on then. Thank you for the help and lesson, major." "When will I see you again?" he asks. "Hmm. Probably sometime really soon. After all there is that damned ball I am expected to go to. Have a wonderful day, major." And with that she left the courtyard and headed to the Colonel's office inside the great mansion. 


	3. The Ball

The Ball The next night, the night of the ball, was so clear that you could see the stars. The weather was still hot but there was a gentle breeze that kept guests cool. The front yard-which was huge-was decorated grandly and there were some table set out for people to sit and eat at. The band played on the left side of the mansion but the music flowed around and could be heard clearly on the right side also. Mostly it was rich people or officers that attended, but you could see some soldiers dining. The women wore big puffy dresses and large white wigs. Almost all of them sported a mole here or there, as it was the trend. The men wore their own very clean uniforms. "Never in my life will I hold such another ball as this!" Colonel Rogers said excitedly. His cheeks were slightly pink from the wine. "And why is that, colonel?" Tavington asked. "Because I don't want another hangover that I suspect I will get tomorrow!" People in his little gossip group laughed and began talking amongst themselves again. "Have you seen McLeen?" Tavington asked the colonel. "No, but it seems to me your smitten with her. Be wary, she may be beautiful but she is still a superior officer. I even heard she was the King's niece!" he goes on talking about the King in good manner, but Tavington doesn't pay attention. He is watching McLeen coming down the stairs slowly in an elegant pale red gown. She seems to not know where to go now that she has found her way to the bottom of the steps. "McLeen?" Tavington says. She smiles. "You may call me Alexandria when I'm not in uniform." "Then you may call me William, my Lady" She looks confused but then laughs. "Oh, so you have found out about my heritage. Please, I don't go for that court talk. It's merely Alexandria and nothing else. except General McLeen." "Are you married? Because if I'm not mistaken, the King's last name is Tudor. Unless he has a sister that I have not heard of." He asks curiously. "No, I changed it so they wouldn't treat me like royalty. I hate court life. That's why I became a general. Of course that's not the only reason. I am very good with 'tactics' as Rogers says and I know my weapons." "Would you like to dance, Alexandria?" he asks her. She nods and he leads her to the dance floor. They dance for what seems hours until they stop. Once they sit down at a near table, does Tavington ask her about her life, in return that he tell her some about his. When she ends he just smiles at her. "What? Was it that interesting-" but she doesn't continue for Tavington has her in his arms and is kissing her. 


	4. The Battle

The Battle  
Guns firing.  
Smoke filling the air.  
People being shot left and right, screaming in agony. Those who get hit in a leg or arm crawl to safety only to be trampled to death by their fellow soldiers fleeing the battle. There's nowhere to turn for every direction is death. Only a few lucky ones reach it to safety, but only a few. The British seem to be winning and that gives them more strength to go on. There's red everywhere, but it's not just the uniforms, it's the blood.  
The cavalry have just arrived and begin shooting down any Continental soldiers they see. General McLeen and Colonel Rogers are off away from the actual fighting on their horses. They watch intently as their troops move forward. A charge hasn't been made and it doesn't seem that they need one for the Continentals have courage even as their fellows fall to the bloody ground.  
More guns firing and more smoke fills the air. Canons go off and explode, sending men flying everywhere. A house goes up in flames and Rogers smirks.  
"You think it's funny? Yes, perhaps it is." McLeen says. "But you wouldn't be laughing if it was your home, now would you?" She heads off in the direction of Lieutenant McCaffrey and Colonel Rogers frowns. Ever since the ball last week she has been in a strange mood. She would take more days off from paperwork than she usually did. He had heard rumors that she was infatuated with Major Tavington.  
"Lieutenant, send the militia out there. We want to surround the Continental Army and then fire like there's no tomorrow, got it?" she says in a stern voice. He nods and gallops to the other officers to tell them the plan.  
Surprisingly Major Tavington comes up beside her on his own horse. "I can't stand it any longer. It is sickening that I just wait here. I need to do something!" she says.  
"But what? You're not thinking of going into battle are you? That's ridiculous!" he shouts over the enemy's canon that hits near them.  
"Just because you don't want me to fight doesn't mean anything. And do not question my judgment. I am after all your superior officer. Ha!" her horse races to the outer ridge of the battle scene and she dismounts. Tavington comes up to her and dismounts too.  
"If you fight, then I fight also." He says. They pull out their swords and pistols and run forward.  
Almost instantly their soldiers and the enemy's soldiers surround them. Tavington looks over at her and almost cries out as she beheads a man. Boy, is she murderous with a sword! He continues to fight and almost looses his sword in the process. He can hardly see anything for another canon had hit nearby and a cloud of smoke had formed. He just went on shooting and slicing anyone without a red uniform on. He couldn't see McLeen anymore and was worried. He didn't want her to fight. He wanted her to be safe. The smoke cleared just as he saw his worst nightmare come to life.  
Everything happened in slow motion. One moment McLeen was pulling her sword out of the back of someone, the next she had a surprised look on her face and grabbed her stomach. She had been shot. Tavington tried to make his way to her but kept getting caught up in the way. She was now on her knees and her face was contorted in pain. Just as he almost reached her, a Continental soldier drew up his bayonet and stabbed McLeen in the back. She screamed and fell.  
"Alexandria!" he yelled and fought back sobs. He had finally made his way to her a quickly sliced through her killer with his sword. He dropped to his knees and rolled her over. She was still alive but just barely. She reached up and touched his jaw. There was a trickle of blood oozing out of her mouth.  
"William, can you believe it? The great General McLeen was shot and stabbed in battle. Wait until the paper comes out." She said slowly and tried to smile.  
"Shh! Don't speak." All other sound had disappeared from his ears except her voice. He wasn't aware that the battle was moving away and they were left alone, surrounded only by the bodies of dead men and horses.  
"William, I-I love y-you." She stuttered and closed her eyes. Her misery and pain was over. She was dead.  
  
Something else died with her. It was William Tavington's heart. He could never love another and was bound for revenge. That is how he came under Lord Cornwallis's command and became the Colonel of the cavalry. He was known for his viciousness in battle long after. They even say he carried a lock of Alexandria Tudor's hair. 


End file.
